7.s. “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come

Revelation 14:6   Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

Matthew 24:14 says that “this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”  The goodness during the Tribulation that Christ is soon going to return to earth to establish His kingdom and that all should be prepared to enter this kingdom by receiving Him as Savior.  We see two aspects of the good news.  Those living during the Church Age (now before the rapture) it is emphasized that they need to receive Christ as Savior so that they can become a part of the Body of Christ and be prepared for heaven.  But to those living during the Tribulation, it is emphasized that the King is coming and they need to be prepared to enter the kingdom.  One thing is always stressed throughout the various proclamations of the gospel – the finished work of Jesus Christ when He paid for sin on the cross.  John says that this angel preaches the everlasting gospel to “those who dwell on the earth, to every nation and tribe and language.  That which has not been finished in the age which we are living will definitely be finished during the Tribulation.  “Fear God and give Him glory” – reverential fear of God is the beginning of all wisdom. It is a reverential trust in God and giving glory to Him.  It is acknowledging and believing Him as creator, live-giver, and sustainer of this world.  He alone is able to do all things and He alone is worthy to be praised.  It seems as though we live in a time in the world when people think there is no God or there is no need for God.  The proclamation of this angel is urgent, the hour of His judgment is come!!  The final call before the final judgment – Believe in Jesus Christ and be eternally saved

7.p. Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them.

Revelation 13:1  And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”

And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. If anyone has an ear, let him hear: If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

Think of all of the ruthless, charismatic, cruel, and cultic rulers there have been over the course of history.  Some of these are recent and some more distant.  One thing is for sure they despise God and think of themselves as “god-like”.  The antichrist will rise to power through Satan and he will be worshiped by the masses.  He will persecute those Christians who have come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ during the tribulation period.  He will kill many but he will also take great pleasure in tormenting them physically, financially, and mentally.  He will do supernatural things so that multitudes of people we flock to Him.  He will have a way of convincing people to follow Him and allow how he is treating Christians.

This will not be a time you would want to live through and most definitely would not want this to be what opens your heart to the message of Jesus Christ.  Now is the time to repent and come to Him.  Now is the time of salvation.  Now is the time to live for Him.  Seek and desire Him more than the things that are keeping yours for giving Him your whole heart, mind, and soul.

Shall we listen to you

Genesis 26:34   When Esau was forty years old, he took Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite to be his wife, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.

Genesis 36:2    Esau took his wives from the Canaanites: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite,

Genesis 24:3    that I may make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell,

Exodus 34:16    and you take of their daughters for your sons, and their daughters whore after their gods and make your sons whore after their gods.

Nehemiah 13:24-27     And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but only the language of each people.  And I confronted them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair. And I made them take an oath in the name of God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.  Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of such women? Among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin.  Shall we then listen to you and do all this great evil and act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women?”

1 John 2:16    For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

As parents we want what is best for our children.  As christian parents we want is right and honoring God for our children.  We teach them about God.  We try to live in such a way that leads by example.  We make mistakes and these too we try to direct our children down paths away from them.

Yet it is that child that must make their own mind up concerning whether they will follow or not follow God.  As parents we see steps they are taking and we know they are down paths that do not end well.  We have learned from taking them ourselves or seeing others who did the same.  It is not up to us for the choices being made and the consequences that follow.

Being a parent and knowing, through experience, what brings peace to the soul or takes it away and to express it and have it rejected hurts the heart.

I wonder what it must be like for God.  He has given us great promises, many blessings, and wonders showing His power and love.  What is it like to be rejected time and time again.  What is it like to give your only son as a sacrifice for sin and to have it rejected.  What is it like to have your righteousness rejected?  What is it like to have your truth rejected, your knowledge and wisdom rejected, your peace, joy, grace, mercy and love rejected?

Scripture says He is storing up His wrath for all who reject Him.  A day of judgement is coming and it is a very bad thing to fall into the hands of an Angry God.

While there is still breath in our lungs it is never to late to repent and turn  to God.  It is never to late to commit anew to Him.